Our eye surgeon Mark Wevill has performed thousands of laser eye and cataract operations during his long career, giving countless people a better quality of life. Whenever possible, Mark likes to offer the benefit of his experience to help people who are in desperate need of eye treatment.

This month, Mark returns to Swaziland to volunteer his time and expertise to communities that suffer from a lack of eye healthcare. Most of the work Mark carries out there is the diagnosis and treatment of cataracts, a procedure that makes a world of difference to those he helps.

When a cataract forms across the previously clear lens, our vision becomes cloudy and many tasks become more difficult. As a highly experienced refractive cataract surgeon, Mark not only removes the cataract, but also replaces the lens with one of the latest intraocular lenses. These amazing lenses extend the range of vision and often have a transformative effect on people’s lives.

For this reason, Mark never travels to Swaziland empty-handed. Thanks to the generosity of the team at the UK division of Lenstec, a state-of-the-art lens manufacturer, Mark always goes armed with hundreds of the latest intraocular lenses. With this donation and Mark’s skill, he is able to positively change the outlook of many people who would otherwise be facing an unclear future.

"Cataracts disable millions of poor people and the only barrier to regaining their independence and dignity is a painless 15-minute operation,” Mark said. “Unfortunately, there are few capable eye surgeons in the poorest countries. I may not be able to help many, but I do what I can to change a few of their lives. And it's amazing that in giving, we receive."

Like many people who are concerned about environmental damage, you may be looking to reduce the amount of single-use plastics you consume in your everyday life.

From taking reusable shopping bags to the supermarket, to forgoing a straw in your cocktail, there are many ways that ordinary people can help to reduce their impact on the environment. However, if you wear disposable contact lenses, you could be contributing to plastics pollution without even realising it.

A study by US researchers has found that 15-20% of contact lens wearers there simply flick the used lenses down the toilet or the bathroom sink, rather than disposing of them in the bin. This can result in many of those discarded lenses ending up in waste water treatment plants, before ultimately being spread onto farmland as part of sewage sludge – thereby increasing the plastic pollution problem.

There is a way that you could enjoy the double benefit of never having to buy, carry or wear contact lenses again, while also doing your bit to protect the planet. LASIK or LASEK laser eye surgery – or, for older people, lens replacement surgery – could free you from glasses and contact lenses by giving you dramatically improved eyesight. Not only would you have the freedom of better vision, you’d also have the peace of mind that comes with no longer using disposable contact lenses.

If you’re not sure whether laser vision correction could be for you, why not give us a call at Laser Eye Surgery Birmingham? Our highly experienced eye surgeon Mark Wevill has carried out these quick, pain-free procedures on over 20,000 people, making the world a brighter place for those who previously suffered from poor vision. Get in touch today to find out what Mark could do for you.

Now that the season is over for many sports, it’s a great time for athletes to consider taking their eyesight into another league.

Whether you’re a professional sports person or a keen amateur, in team or individual pursuits, it’s very important to be able to see clearly while taking part. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, these can not only cause inconvenience, but also pose actual threats to your health and safety.

Glasses are unsuitable for many sports, but even contact lenses can present dangers, particularly if your sport exposes you to water. A recent news story shared the terrible experience of a young woman who wore contact lenses while swimming.

She contracted a rare infection called Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), which eats away at the cornea. After suffering “months and months in absolute agony,” she was forced to undergo a cornea transplant to bring her ordeal to an end. Read more ...

Prescription sports glasses can help, but why not rid yourself of the burden entirely? If you’re a swimmer, triathlete, paddler, kayaker, rower, cyclist or any kind of sports person, you could enjoy your sport worry-free, thanks to laser eye surgery.

With our quick, painless procedures, you could have your laser vision correction done at any time. But if your sport takes a break over the winter, this is the ideal period in which to give yourself the advantage of improved eyesight, ready to shine next season.

At Laser Eye Surgery Birmingham, we offer the latest cutting-edge LASIK and LASEK laser eye surgery techniques. So, get in touch with our friendly team for a chat or browse our website for more information. When it comes to eyesight, we’re always going for gold!

As we get older, many of us will find that our eyesight starts to fail gradually over time. This often manifests itself in the most annoying ways as we start to struggle with close-up tasks, such as reading, using our computers or looking at our mobile phones.

But do you have to live with this slow deterioration of your vision and the inconvenience it brings? Absolutely not!

At Laser Eye Surgery Birmingham we offer the very latest in laser eye surgery techniques and other cutting-edge treatments. If you’re over 45 and struggling with vision problems, you may find greater benefit in lens replacement surgery than laser eye surgery.

This was the case for Gary, a Harley Davidson enthusiast who underwent femto lens surgery and received advanced lens implants after he became frustrated with the effect of poor vision on his daily life.

As an engineer, Gary needed to wear his glasses or contact lenses at work, which was a hassle when he had to wear safety glasses over his normal glasses, for example. The final straw came when, on a motorcycling holiday in Europe, Gary was driven crazy by continually having to remove his helmet and put his glasses on just to read a text on his phone.

On his return home, he turned to our expert eye surgeon Mark Wevill for help. During the painless, 10-minute procedure, Gary’s natural lens was softened and removed, to be replaced by an advanced optic lens. The result has put Gary’s life into a whole different gear.

“Now I don’t need to wear glasses at all and it’s just fabulous,” Gary said.

If you’d like to get on the road to better vision, get in touch with our friendly team or visit our lens replacement surgery page for more information.

Amreeta, 26, is a radiologist who had wanted to improve her eyesight all her life. Suffering from myopia, or short-sightedness, meant that Amreeta couldn’t even make a cup of tea safely without wearing her glasses or contact lenses.

She sought the help of our expert eye surgeon Mark Wevill to make her lifelong dream of glasses-free vision a reality. After extensive assessment using state-of-the-art equipment, Mark decided that Amreeta was suitable for Visian ICL's, or intraocular contact lens implants, which can be an ideal alternative when your vision can’t be corrected by laser eye surgery. Mark would insert a tiny phakic lens in front of Amreeta’s natural lens – so she would be effectively wearing a contact lens inside her eye.

A major driver behind Amreeta’s decision to seek eye surgery was her ambition to travel around the world, something she felt unable to do while her vision was poor.

“Having eye surgery done is scary, but not as scary as being somewhere and not being able to see,” she said.

Amreeta’s initial nerves were quickly eased by our friendly, professional team and she went on to have the procedure carried out on both eyes. The quick and painless process left Amreeta with enhanced vision almost immediately and her eyesight in both eyes steadily improved over the following weeks, until she achieved better than 20/20 vision.

“To just be able to get up in the morning and see is amazing,” she said. “You can’t put a price on sight.”

Heidi is a team member at Optegra Eye Hospital Birmingham, where she takes care of the bookings for NHS cataract patients and also greets visitors at the reception desk. Heidi had always been very short-sighted – in a family of people with poor vision, she believed that her eyesight was definitely the worst.

Although Heidi sometimes wore contact lenses, if she was having a bad day and experiencing discomfort or dryness, she would be forced to wear thick glasses, which she disliked. She was also concerned about the impression this would make on visitors to a hospital that specialises in giving people freedom from wearing glasses.

Like many people, Heidi had some concerns and apprehension about undergoing laser eye surgery: Would it achieve a good result? Would the treatment be a safe and sensible choice for her?

Our highly experienced surgeon Mark Wevill carried out laser eye surgery on Heidi last year and she says it has changed her life in ways she couldn’t have anticipated.

“My eyesight was minus 7 or 8 before the surgery and this experience has been absolutely life-changing,” she says. “It’s amazing, I can see perfectly – I never imagined the result would be so good. I no longer have to bother with contact lenses or glasses. It’s great to not worry about putting anything in my eyes before I go out of the front door.”

Heidi now has the best eyesight in her family, so her impressed relatives are interested in having laser eye surgery too!

As the long summer holidays draw to a close, children everywhere will be excited about seeing their school friends again – while many parents may be breathing a sigh of relief after entertaining the family for weeks!

Returning the children to school could present an unexpected opportunity for parents with poor vision. If you’ve spent all summer squinting over bedtime stories, or struggling to see your youngsters as they waved from distant roller-coasters, now is the time to consider doing something that’s just for you.

Laser eye surgery – LASIK or LASEK – could transform your quality of life so that, by the time the next school holiday rolls around, you could be enjoying greatly improved vision. At Laser Eye Surgery Birmingham, we offer the latest technology in laser vision correction and thousands of people are now seeing the world more clearly thanks to our outstanding service.

Perhaps you’ll be heading back to school yourself, as a mature student at university, college or evening classes? If you have difficulty seeing the board, watching videos or reading textbooks, there’s never been a better time to look into vision correction. Even teachers could benefit from better vision – then you could see exactly who is misbehaving at the back of the class!

For older students, lens replacement surgery could be a more suitable route than laser eye surgery. Also known as refractive lens exchange, this procedure actually replaces your deteriorated lens with one of the latest intraocular lenses.

All our procedures are quick – less than 10 minutes – painless and surprisingly affordable, and you don’t need to wait for another long holiday to recover. So, why not get in touch with our friendly team today and find out more? You could have A+ vision before you know it.

There are many reasons to consider having vision correction surgery, but have you considered the positive impact on your finances?

Cost may be a factor when deciding whether to undertake laser eye surgery or other procedures, but at Laser Eye Surgery Birmingham, you’ll find that our quick, pain-free procedures are surprisingly affordable. Not only will your investment in better eyesight give you an improved quality of life, it could also make your wallet happier in the long term.

Eliminating the cost of replacement lenses and frames for years to come is an obvious saving. But did you know that sunglasses are the third most common item to be stolen from people on holiday? Some unlucky travellers don’t even make it out of the airport without losing their designer shades. This would be inconvenient in itself, but when they’re also prescription glasses, the cost of replacements can really drain your travel fund.

Only cash and mobile phones are more attractive to thieves than glasses and depending on the small print of your travel or home insurance, you may find that your policy doesn’t always cover losses of that kind. Why not give yourself an extra holiday treat and take your next break free of glasses and contact lenses?

We’re experts in giving people better vision, using the latest technology in LASIK and LASEK laser eye surgery. Our comprehensive vision assessment will help us to recommend the best procedure for you – no blades are used and each procedure takes less than 10 minutes.

If you’re over 50, you may be suffering from Dysfunctional Lens Syndrome, in which case lens replacement surgery – or refractive lens exchange – may be the better option for improving your sight.

When you’re trying to pack light, a bag full of vision aid supplies can take up an annoying amount of space in your luggage. If you wear glasses, you’ll need your back-up pair, prescription sunglasses and non-prescription shades for when you’re wearing contact lenses. Perhaps you want to have a choice of styles to mix and match with your holiday outfits? Better make a bit more space in the bag then.

If you’re over 45, reading glasses might have to be added to the mix – yet another pair to fill out your suitcase and beach bag.

Contact lenses are no less hassle when you’re going on holiday. There are the cases and solutions to take and if you run out while overseas, depending on your location, it can be hard to track down replacements. Many people prefer to wear contact lenses for sporting activities, but you shouldn’t do that if your eyes are dry or irritated. Some very energetic activities, such as surfing and rafting, aren’t suitable for wearing contacts as they could easily be lost.

Imagine, then, the freedom of taking a holiday without wearing glasses or contact lenses at all. That dream could come true with the help of Laser Eye Surgery Birmingham.

As we age, many of us will start to experience problems with our vision. Glasses and contact lenses come with ongoing costs that will last a lifetime, such as regular eye tests, buying new lenses and replacing battered or lost frames.

That’s why millions of people are turning to the state-of-the-art technologies now available for long-term vision correction. Often, they find that eye surgery treatment is much more affordable than they imagined and they’re delighted by the results.

But if you’re considering eye surgery, it’s important to choose the procedure that’s right for you. ‘Laser eye surgery’ is not a catch-all term; often, the right solution for your vision will be influenced by your age.

People aged between 20 and 50 will generally benefit from laser eye surgery. We offer two types of laser eye surgery, neither of which uses blades. LASIK is a procedure in which the cornea is accurately reshaped; it takes just 10 minutes and you can usually drive by the next day. With LASEK, or advanced surface treatment, the procedure is even quicker but the recovery time is slightly longer.

If you’re over 50, however, it’s likely that you would benefit more from lens replacement surgery. Many people suffer from a slow deterioration of their lens over time, called Dysfunctional Lens Syndrome, which makes the lens less adaptable, flexible and clear. Also known as refractive lens exchange, lens replacement surgery turns back the years with a painless, 10-minute procedure.

Some new lenses can provide focus for near, intermediate and far objects, and correct astigmatism. Another benefit is that you cannot develop a cataract after lens replacement.

Prior to the surgery, it’s very important that your personal eye health is thoroughly assessed to ensure that you are suitable for lens replacement surgery. Here at Laser Eye Surgery Birmingham, our surgeon Mark Wevill will carry out a complimentary 90-minute advanced eye analysis using the latest technology, before selecting the lens that is right for your personal vision needs.

It’s a sad fact that myopia – or short-sightedness – is on the rise. Half of UK teenagers are believed to be myopic and it is estimated that about 200 million people around the globe have the same condition.

So, what is myopia and what causes it to progress? When your eye is too long and the focusing power of your eye is too strong, distant objects are focused in front of the retina. Wearing minus (-) glasses moves the focal plane backward, which focuses the image on the retina.

Parents will naturally be keen to protect their children’s eyesight and being aware of potential hazards early on could help. Staring at screens – including computers, tablets, TVs and mobile phones – can exacerbate the problem, so taking a break from modern life and spending lots of time outdoors may help to reduce myopia in young people.

While this is useful advice for all of us, genetics can also play a role in determining who will develop myopia. So, once the damage is done, can myopia be cured?

There is the option to manage your vision using glasses. But if you don’t want the ongoing, life-long cost and inconvenience of wearing glasses, there are treatments available that offer you long-term vision correction.

Laser eye surgery is a good choice for people aged between 20 and 50 – more than 50 million people are now enjoying the benefits of blade-free LASIK and LASEK laser vision correction. For the over-50s, lens replacement surgery – or refractive lens exchange – is a better option to challenge the impact of the ageing process on your vision.

Here at Laser Eye Surgery Birmingham, we’ve been changing lives with these treatments for many years, offering people freedom from glasses for an affordable price. Get in touch with us today to find how you could see a brighter future.

Lens replacement surgery can seem like a daunting procedure, but it's also an incredibly exciting one because it will dramatically improve your vision and quality of life. Being prepared for each step of the surgery can really help to relieve any apprehension you may have about the procedure, allowing you to focus on looking forward to the fantastic results.

Check you have all the right information about your lens replacement surgery

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists has a helpful checklist of items to discuss with your surgeon before you undergo a lens replacement procedure. It's very important that you ask as many questions as possible before your surgery so that you know what to expect, this will go a long way in reducing any worries or anxieties you have about the procedure.

Before you have the surgery, you should feel fully informed about the following areas:

- The credentials of your eye surgeon and their clinic- The costs of the surgery, including costs of follow-up visits or treatments- The expected results of the lens replacement surgery, and the reasons why that particular surgery is right for you- What the procedure entails, how long it will last, and how your vision and use of glasses will change- Complications and potential risks of surgery- The aftercare process, recovery times and the aftercare or follow-up procedures offered to you

Plan for recovery from lens replacement surgery

You won't be able to drive after your lens replacement procedure, so make plans as to how you will get to the clinic and get home afterward. Although most patients are able to get back to their usual activities just a couple of days after surgery, your vision will need 24 to 48 hours to recover. This means you'll also need a friend or family member on hand to help you out around the home and make you comfortable. Your surgeon will advise you on estimated recovery times so that you can also schedule leave from work or clear your diary where appropriate. Make all of these post-surgery plans at least a week in advance of your procedure so that you can look forward to a stress-free recovery.

And here are some links to hear about the difference the treatment has made to some of our patients:

Once you've made the decision to undergo cataract surgery, you may feel a little bit nervous about the procedure, but don't worry. Your eye doctor will have completed the surgery many times before and will be sure to make you feel comfortable.

Prior to your cataract surgery, typically a week or so before the procedure, your eye doctor will measure the shape and size of your eye. This is done so that they can provide you with the appropriate artificial lens.

The procedure

Throughout the duration of your cataract surgery, you will be awake. Initially, this might sound daunting, but you won't feel any pain or discomfort, as your doctor will using a numbing agent on your eye, and won't use any needles or injections.

Mark Wevill will make a small incision at the side of your eye, and using a gentle ultrasound instrument he will fragment and remove the cataract. Your new high tech intraocular lens is rolled into a cylinder and inserted into the position of the old lens. It's a myth that the eye is removed from the socket to have the surgery. No-one has ever done this and it and in this high tech age it is inconceivable. The surgery is quick and painless.

Typically, the surgery takes about 10 to 15 minutes so you won't need to stay overnight, but you will need to make sure you have someone to drive you home.

Cataract surgery aftercare

There's a whole plethora of health benefits you can look forward to once you've recovered from your cataract surgery, but until then, it's time to rest up. For a couple of days after your surgery, you may find that your eye itches or feels sore. Over this period, you may also find that your eyes are more teary and that it's difficult to see well in bright conditions.

You will be given eye drops for the first week to prevent infection, you will be given an eye shield to wear when sleeping. Be sure to contact your doctor immediately if you feel that your eye isn't healing as it should or if you're experiencing pain. Your eye should be fully healed after 8 weeks.If you're interested in getting cataract surgery, visit Laser Eye Surgery Birmingham today to book in for an appointment or to find out more about our quality services.

Cataract continues to be a medical concern, especially for the ageing population. It can be quite an debilitating condition that can limit the extent to which sufferers can engage in everyday activities such as reading, driving and outdoor activities.

It is well known that cataract surgery can provide you with impeccable vision, and Mark Wevill, our refractive cataract surgeon, has carried out many thousands of cataract surgeries over the last 25 years. We believe that prevention is part and parcel of good eye care and believe that there are some things you could consider that could help reduce the risks of developing cataract or minimise its impact on your lifestyle if the condition were to occur. Read on to find out more:

Cataract surgery helps and so can regular visits to your optician

Rather than wait until an emergency strikes before visiting your optician, it is wise to get into the habit of visiting your optician on a regular basis. Regular eye checks can help because your optician would usually look out for signs of any eye disorders and it is a great way to alleviate any anxieties you may have about your vision.

An eye check could also mean that your optician discovers the early onset of cataract and can offer timely advice or treatment to help prevent the condition from progressing.

Protecting your eyes from UV rays could delay cataract surgery

You only need to see or experience sunburn on the skin to realise the damaging effects ultraviolet (UV) rays can have. UV rays can be similarly damaging to the eyes and are one of the factors that cause cataract . Ultraviolet (UV) light damages proteins in the lens of the eye causing cataracts and wearing sunglasses, especially when you are younger has a protective effect. And the reflective glare off surfaces like swimming pools and the beach increases the UV exposure and risk of cataract formation.

Keep an eye on your blood sugar levels

Sugar intake and dietary choices feature prominently in the causes of diabetes, and diabetes causes cataracts. And cataract surgery carries more risks in people with diabetes.

Don't smoke or give it up

Smoking increases the risk of developing cataracts by three fold and stopping smoking reduces this risk. Smokers are also more likely to have a poor diet and drink more alcohol, which are also risk factors for cataract. Tobacco smoke contains toxic heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, and copper, which accumulate in the lens and damage it.

Overeating

Obesity is risk factor for cataracts. These health-related factors − diabetes, obesity & smoking may occur together. Therefore, wearing sunglasses, a moderate calorie intake and a healthy lifestyle are the best way to reduce the risk of developing cataracts.

We provide specialist cataract surgery in Birmingham, so contact us today for more information. Our friendly team are on hand to support you in your journey to improved eye health.

A common eye condition that can lead to loss of vision in the over 40 age group is cataracts. So, what causes cataracts and what can your optometrist do to help?

Cataracts and laser eye surgery

A cataract is the term used to describe the clouding of the eye’s lens, obstructing the iris and pupil and causing the sight to be compromised. The aging process can cause the proteins within the eye to clump together. This causes a small area of clouding, and over time, the clumping spreads, making it more and more difficult to see clearly. In addition to ageing, there are a number of other causes of cataracts including:

You may also be more prone to developing cataracts if you have a family history of them.

Signs and symptoms of cataracts

A cataract may at first have little impression on your vision. You may find that your eyesight has become rather blurred, as though you were looking through cloudy glass. You may find the light from a lamp or from the sun seems to be overly bright. Night driving can become more challenging as you may find that the glare of oncoming headlights dazzles and distorts your vision much more than it did previously.

Some people may find that colours appear faded or not as vivid as they once were.

Eye surgery for cataract treatment

If you think that you may be developing cataracts, you should seek the immediate advice of an eye specialist.

Advanced eye surgery for cataracts is a relatively simple option that you should seriously consider as the condition progresses. Cataract surgery has a good success rate with most people enjoying 20/20 or 20/40 vision afterwards.

Surgeon Mark Wevill will extract the damaged, cloudy lens from your eye and replace it with a clear, synthetic lens made of acrylic or PMMA. Synthetic lenses are designed to protect the rest of your eye from damage by UV rays and some are even designed to correct other visual problems so that you won’t need to wear glasses.

In conclusion

If you think that your vision is becoming cloudy or you experience any of the other symptoms outlined above, why not contact the helpful experts at Laser Eye Surgery, Birmingham for advice.

Laser eye surgery is a life-changing procedure that has allowed about 40 million people across the world to experience the world as never before with improved vision without glasses or contact lenses. It's an advanced process that requires top expertise and the latest equipment, and it's all available in one of the West Midland's most advanced treatment centres.

Unique in the West Midlands

As the only provider in the West Midlands to offer Zeiss Laser Eye Surgery equipment, we are able to conduct procedures to an unmatched level of accuracy using the most advanced equipment, including the Zeiss Atlas and the Zeiss MEL 90 Laser. The process, which is much gentler than using a blade, uses laser pulses lasting one billionth of a millionth of a second to first create a flap on the surface of the eye, then re-shape the cornea to correct your vision. Accurate to within 1/1000 of a millimetre, this process is used on all of our procedures to ensure the highest levels of accuracy and safety.

Local treatment in the West Midlands

With treatment based at the Optegra Birmingham Eye Hospital, a spacious and modern facility located in the centre of Birmingham, you can be confident that your treatment will be carried out by eye surgery specialists whose only role is to restore your vision. Looked after by Consultant Surgeon Mark Wevill, a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh and world-renowned eye expert, with more than 6,000 procedures and 20 international conference appearances to his name. Trusted to write academic work for textbooks on the subject, you couldn't be in safer hands in the West Midlands than with Mark and his team.

Bespoke treatment in the West Midlands

When you choose Laser Eye Surgery Birmingham, you're not just another patient, your eyes are a unique story with individual requirements, and Mark and his team will work to ensure you get the bespoke treatment you need. And with Mark performing over 20,000 Vision correction procedures, you’ll be in good hands. From cataract surgery to lens replacement , we'll design a treatment programme bespoke to your needs and lifestyle so that you get exactly what you need from your procedure. Using our advanced scanning equipment, we can find out every detail about your eyes and your vision to make the procedure as quick, accurate and hassle-free as possible, whilst also being minimally invasive.

For laser eye surgery in the West Midlands, Laser Eye Surgery have the skills, the equipment and the ethos to be the natural choice.

Laser eye surgery is capable of correcting a person’s vision to such a degree that eyeglasses are no longer needed in order to see clearly. Since its introduction in 1989, millions of people around the world have had laser eye surgery.

The vast majority of people who have undergone a vision correction procedure achieve 20/20 vision. Many of those people experience a dramatic improvement in their vision immediately after treatment.

Yet, despite the broad success of the procedures, many people are still uncertain about whether laser surgery or refractive lens exchange procedures will be right for their individual needs. Here are some common myths surrounding laser eye surgery and LASIK Birmingham residents should consider.

Myth: No one really knows what long-term side effects might occur?

Fact: There is a persistent belief that LASIK treatments are still relatively new, so there may be some doubt as to what long-term effects might still be unknown. In reality, LASIK surgeries have been commonly performed for almost 30 years with an extremely high success rate.

Myth: I’m too old for laser eye surgery

Fact: The only real age restriction placed on patients seeking vision correction procedures is that they are over the age of 18 when treatment commences. However, there are some patients with age-related eye conditions that might preclude them from going ahead with the procedure. These include glaucoma, cataracts, and macular eye degeneration. In such instances, booking an appointment with a LASIK specialist to discuss options is advised.

Myth: Laser surgery on the eyes will be painful

Fact: The procedure for vision correction surgery is virtually painless. Patients are given a numbing agent prior to treatment to ensure any discomfort is limited. During the procedure, it’s common to feel a sense of pressure as the corneal flap is made, but there is little other pain to be worried about. Some patients may also require a mild sedative to reduce feelings of anxiety before treatment starts.

Myth: Only short-sighted people are good candidates for LASIK

Fact: In the early days of laser eye surgery treatments were only available to short-sighted people. However, the technology behind the procedures has improved significantly, allowing specialists to treat a variety of corrective refractive errors, including longsightedness and astigmatism.

Myth: Some people go blind after laser eye surgery

Fact: There are no recorded cases anywhere in the world of a patient going blind after LASIK surgery. The procedure only reshapes the cornea on the surface layer of the eye.

Myth: It will take months to recover properly after LASIK

Fact: The vast majority of patients are able to drive legally the day following LASIK surgery without the need for eyeglasses.

The popularity of laser eye surgery has surged over the past few years, as people strive for alternatives to other corrective measures for poor eyesight. Laser eye surgery is open to most people who are over the age of 21, with healthy eyes and who are able to see with the right prescription of glasses or contact lenses. Are you considering laser eye surgery? These are some of the main advantages of the procedure:

Simple process of laser eye surgery

Laser eye surgery is a relatively simple and quick process, especially with the advancements in technology and the great thing about it is that the results are immediate. Anyone undergoing this treatment will not have to wait months, weeks or even days; the results are instant and the xx person xx can stop wearing their usual glasses or contact lenses. The simplicity of the process is what makes it so appealing to many people who want a change from their usual, corrective eyewear. It is a procedure which has become more advanced over the years, making it simpler and easier.

Laser eye surgery enhances freedom

The most appealing aspect of laser eye surgery is that xx you can be free from wearing xx glasses or contact lenses . Anyone who wears glasses understands how frustrating it can be when they leave these at home or the hassle of trying to remember to put in contact lenses every morning. Of course, these are hugely beneficial to those with sight problems, but laser surgery offers much more freedom.

Laser eye surgery can make you more attractive

It may be the case that glasses make you feel less attractive and you don’t like wearing contact lenses. This can be highly off-putting for some people, who will even go without wearing glasses, even though they can’t see much! Those who get laser eye surgery often feel much more attractive than ever before and this can be an important benefit for self-confidence.

Greater opportunities after laser eye surgery

Laser eye surgery can offer greater opportunities. You may find that you can take part in activities which you weren’t able to before or that there are better career opportunities for you. Some people have a completely new lease of life after laser eye surgery, as they can enjoy much more with their new, perfect vision and freedom from glasses.

Cataract surgery is a wonderful operation to restore your sight when your vision goes cloudy as a result of the natural lens in your eye becoming cloudy. Having your surgery performed by a specialist eye surgeon should mean that your recovery time is quick and hassle-free. Here are a few tips to help speed up your recovery time after your procedure.

After cataract surgery – doctor’s orders

Following your cataract surgery, your doctor places an eye shield over your eye. You must use this protective shield as advised to prevent inadvertently rubbing or scratching your eye especially while sleep.

Your doctor will also prescribe anti-inflammatory, antibiotic eye drops to use. Use these as directed to minimise your recovery time.

Safe activities following cataract surgery

You can watch TV and use a computer for short periods following your surgery, but keep the sessions brief so that you don’t get eye strain.

Recovery tips after cataract surgery

Allow your vision to settle for at least a few days and get confirmation from your surgeon or an optician before driving that your vision is at driving standard to.

You should wear sunglasses when you go outside for the first two or three weeks following cataract surgery. Your eye will be sensitive to bright light immediately after your procedure, and wearing sunglasses will also provide you with protection from windblown dust and debris.

If you enjoy going to the gym, it's best to avoid doing so for a few weeks following your surgery. You should also avoid going swimming or using a hot tub for a few weeks following your cataract surgery. The chemicals contained in the water could irritate your eye and the bacteria could cause an infection.

Don’t be tempted to rub your eye, even if it is irritating as the eye is still healing.

In conclusion

Cataract surgery is a wonderful way to restore your sight. But take care to follow any the post-operation instructions that you are given by your surgeon. And if you use the tips given above to help you should enjoy a speedy recovery and have great vision once again.

For more information about cataract surgery and other eye procedures, contact the experts at Laser Eye Surgery Birmingham.